Helping the Traditional Church Have a Burning Heart for the things of God in the Scriptures – Luke 24:32

Now THAT’s a Good Question!

I have been asked this question, or heard similar statements, numerous times.

Others usually go something like this:

“I don’t need that. God is going to take care of me.”

“I am not going to the doctor. I don’t need him/her. God is my Physician.”

“I know my life is in danger if I do/don’t _______. But if God allows it, He will handle the details and take care of _______.”

“If you would just join me in having faith in God to heal me, I would already be healed by now!”

How are Christians supposed to respond to this? Is it true – is God going to heal them? Is it that WE are the ones without enough faith? Are doctors and medicine evil – robbing us of experiencing the power and blessing of God?

While I am a firm believer that God can and still does heal today in remarkable and miraculous and powerful ways without medicine and doctors – I also believe that He heals in remarkable and miraculous and powerful ways USING doctors and medicine.

Let me explain.

Those who make the claims listed above are right – God can heal. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. But what they often miss and/or misunderstand is that the doctor offering the treatment or medicine or surgery or therapy IS God’s means of healing them!!!!!! They think – for some odd reason – that it doesn’t count unless it happens in some huge dramatic fashion.

Consider, however:

Who made the doctor? Ummmmmm God.

Who made the person who invented the medicine? Ummmmmmmm God.

Whose idea was it to take care of others’ physical needs? Ummmmmm, yeah – God (have you read the story of the Good Samaritan lately? Why didn’t Jesus just tell the injured man to pray for a miraculous healing?!?!?!?!?).

Who allowed us to have access to these things? You get the point.

The person refusing the treatment because they are ‘waiting’ on God to heal them is missing the healing that God Himself is providing right in front of their face! What they want is THEIR OWN WAY OF HEALING – not what God has already provided. They are looking for a supernatural sign from God, rather than believing He has already sent one a bit less dramatic (in their estimation). Last I checked, Jesus warned against such things. [See also the story of Naaman in 2 Kings 5 – He wanted the healing Naaman’s way, not God’s.]

It would be one thing if we lived in the jungles of Ecuador or Brazil or Africa with ZERO access to treatments or doctors or medicines. God often heals in ‘supernatural,’ extraordinary ways in these areas – precisely because He hasn’t yet planted doctors there. But don’t you think those who have gone before us have prayed for healing and cures for things we still get today? And don’t you think God has answered their prayers by sending us those with brilliant minds – that He created – in order to help us heal?

What would have happened to Noah if he had responded by saying, “I am not gonna worry about building the ark. God will provide the boat. I’m just gonna have faith that when it starts raining the boat will come”?

The Apostle Paul himself – one who had seen incredible miracles throughout his ministry – told Timothy to take something for his stomach ache (see 1 Timothy 5:23). Think of it! Paul didn’t tell Timothy to go pray for a healing. He told him to go drink some wine to cure it! Wow Paul – if you would just have more faith – God would have already healed Timmy’s tummy! Paul knew God had already provided for Timothy. He didn’t have to go pray about it. He was to go use what God had provided!!!!!

I hate to say it – because I have been there, expressing similar statements – but refusing treatment or care because you believe God is going to “take care of you” is a masked form of pride. Too proud to take medicine. Too proud to think God might have a different/better way of healing you than you want. Too proud to admit you need help. Too proud to exercise biblical wisdom. To proud to pay money.

If you’re sick – pray for God to heal you. Then go do what the doctor tells you to do.

The miracle you are waiting for might just be right in front of you.

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7 thoughts on “Now THAT’s a Good Question!”

More and more during hospital visits I have had people refer to Isaiah 53:5. They are frustrated that they are still sick because the Bible says “By His stripes we are healed”. This is why context is so important on passages like these and why the faith healing gospel is so dangerous.

Thanks Bro Matt,
Sometimes I feel people think my lack of faith is the cause of my issues! It is hard to have people understand that while I’ve asked for healing,my fervent prayer is to have strength for every day I face this! If I’m healed He will get ALL the praise but until then,I just need grace to be who I’m supposed to be IN this?!

This guy is drowning in the ocean, and this boat pulls up and offers to help. The drowning man said, “No thanks, God will save me.” Later on, another boat stops and asks if he needs help, and the man responded, “No thanks, I believe God is going to save me.” Another boat comes by to help, and again the man turns it down, having faith in a miracle from God. Then the man drowns, goes to heaven, sees God, and says, “Why didn’t you save me from drowning???” To which our Father replies, “Son, I sent you 3 boats!”

Blog’s Purpose

Like the men on the Emmaus Road in Luke 24, I long to help "church people" who have a knowledge of the Scriptures experience anew, or for the first time, the risen Christ in their heart. As these men experienced "burning hearts," so I long for traditional church people to have "heart burn" in a different, non-traditional sense. I hope this blog is a small means to help hearts burn for God as they better understand His Word.

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